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New working paper: Convergence of EU regions redux - Recent trends in regional disparities

Before the economic crisis which started in 2008, the EU was nicknamed a "convergence machine" as disparities among EU regions were significantly decreasing. The crisis had a deep impact on economic and social cohesion in the EU and the surge in disparities is now frequently cited as one of the main causes for the current lack of popular support for the project of constructing the European Union.

date:  16/07/2020

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The issue of regional disparities is therefore as relevant as ever and this paper intends to provide an updated analysis of their recent trends. It relies on a battery of instruments and methods to take the pulse of the convergence process among EU regions, both at EU and Member State level, taking a long-term perspective when possible and comparing the EU with other places in the world.

Convergence of EU regions redux - Recent trends in regional disparities